Big Ideas for India Contest at Rajesh Jain’s Blog

My colleague Rajesh Jain has a “Big Ideas Contest” going on at his blog. Here are the details:

India needs big ideas if we are to create a rich, developed nation in the next 20-30 years. We are not getting these at the national level. In the political skirmishes between the various parties and their leaders, what has been left behind is an agenda of transformation.

In every sector of India’s economy, there is a need for big, bold and imaginative ideas to fast-track economic growth and development. We cannot have another generation hobbled by illiteracy, malnourishment, poverty and a limited education.

For the most part, we in Middle India have stayed away from the discourse of policy-making, leaving it to the so-called experts, politicians and bureaucrats. It cannot stay that way – for the future that is impacted is ours and that of our children. We need to participate in the process if we are to contribute towards changing the course of India’s future.

Over the course of the next couple weeks or so, we will take 10-odd areas where India needs big ideas, and open it up to contributions by all. Each weekday, I will outline one area and put forth a brief backgrounder on the need for change. You can then put forth your ideas on what needs to be done.

The 10 best ideas overall will receive a free copy of Atanu Dey’s forthcoming book, “Transforming India: The Road to India’s Development.” The judging will be done by me, along with Atanu Dey. To participate, you can simply leave your ideas as a comment on the blog post page or the Facebook page with the question or email me at rajeshjain@netcore.co.in.

I will announce the winners in the last week of April.

All the best! We will start the contest tomorrow with a few questions on the governance model and then move to specific sectors.

PS: These ideas will be valued. So don’t be skeptical. While good ideas are what we want all political parties to make use of, I will ensure that the best ideas are shared within the highest levels of the BJP.

This doesn’t look like a big ideas contest. But, a test of the readers’ basic civic and economics literacy.

http://www.deeshaa.org Atanu Dey

bourne,

This doesn’t look like a big ideas contest. But, a test of the readers’ basic civic and economics literacy.

You could be right. Even then, it is a not a fruitless exercise.

Kaffir

Atanu,

Shouldn’t you too answer these questions first, and also state how flexible your views are (how open you are) in terms of accepting answers to these questions which are different from your answers?

Kaffir

BTW, what is the purpose of such a contest? Is it to encourage deep thinking on such questions? To take a survey of what people think on these issues and whether this thinking aligns with your own thinking? Because I very much doubt that you or Rajesh would be able to implement a good idea if it comes by through this contest.

http://www.deeshaa.org Atanu Dey

Kaffir,

The purpose of the contest is to encourage thinking about the problems and therefore sensitize people to the need for a solution. Whether we — or anyone else — can implement is solution is a different and admittedly a very difficult matter. But thinking about solutions is a step towards the desired end.